To Make it Through the Day
by arianapeterson19
Summary: With forces combining and the children in danger, the Guardians must protect them with all they have but in the end it seems they are just holding back the inevitable. Jack Frost must overcome his own issues to help his companions beat Pitch back yet again. Rated T in case people get offended.
1. Scouts Honor

"Bum bum ba babum babum. Bum bum ba babum babum."

"You have got to stop that incessant noise!" snapped Bunnymund, glaring up at the white haired boy humming in the trees.

"Sorry," said Jack meekly, hopping from branch to branch easily on his pale bare feet.

As soon as he stopped humming, Bunnymund wished he would continue; he had forgotten how silently Jack moved and without talking, it was nearly impossible for the larger companion to locate the boy. They were on a scouting mission, having heard that Pitch, while still weak, was up to his tricks again, trying to gain strength by sowing fear. With Easter months away, Bunnymund had volunteered to check out the area, itching for some action. North had insisted that the bunny take Jack Frost with him. Jack, ever energetic, was up for the challenge but it took more convincing from North before Bunnymund agreed to take his least favorite Guardian with him. Jack was slowly growing on him but he was sometimes too energetic for his own good and drove Bunnymund up the wall.

Suddenly, the flighty winter spirit was at the large bunny's side, looking small and slight against the wall of fur, as if a strong wind would carry him off (which it frequently did).

"What are you-" began Bunnymund, shocked at Jack's proximity.

Out of all of the Guardians, Jack and Bunnymund were the least touchy-feely.

"Hello boys," came a chilling, sinisterly familiar voice.

They simultaneously turned to the sound, Bunnymund impressed that Jack had sensed something off before he had. The spring spirit wrote it off as Jack being on his own for 300 years and therefore needing to be aware of his surroundings at all times.

There, amongst the winter kissed trees, stood the tall, dark, shadowy form of Pitch Black. He was taller even then Bunnymund but willowy like Jack, without the grace the young spirit possessed. Before either Guardian could react, Pitch sent a stream of dark between them, throwing them back from each other and into the trees and bushes of the landscape.

"I'm only here for the boy," stated Pitch. "You don't interest me, Bunny."

Pitch was forced to dodge a bolt of ice from Jack.

"Now, now, Jack," sighed Pitch, sending an unnecessarily large force of fearlings to the boy. "We can't have any of that."

Bunnymund bounded forward, trying to get at Pitch.

"You see, Jack," said Pitch as the boy screamed in pain from the fearlings. "No one cares when you scream. The Easter Bunny won't help you, the other Guardians don't care. They left you alone for 300 years until they needed you, but they don't need you now. See, really, I'm doing you a favor. So just give up."

"No, Jack!" yelled Bunnymund, hitting Pitch with a boomerang, causing the weakened dark spirit to disappear before the bunny destroyed him completely, taking his fearlings with him.

Jack swayed on his feet for an instant before his thin legs folded under his weight and he collapsed on the trampled soft forest floor. Bunnymund ran over to the newest Guardian to find his normally pale skin bone white. Jack's breathing was labored and blood dripped from his hands at a rate Bunnymind did not like.

"Jake?" said Bunnymund uneasily, shaking the blue clad shoulder. "Come one, mate, answer me. Jack!"

Jack's eyes fluttered open.

"Bunny?" whispered Jack, trying to sit up as his world swam into focus.

"Easy," cautioned Bunnymund, placing a large paw behind the slight Guardian's back to support him.

"Ow," groaned Jack as all of his ouches came sharply into play.

Frightened, Bunnymund picked up the winter spirit, ignoring his weak protests, tapped the ground with his large foot, and set off for the north pole. Jack had never made those sounds of pain before, he had always bounced back from everything Pitch had thrown at him, and it scared Bunnymund to see him that way. For all of Jack being a Guardian and 300 years old, he was still so childlike that he evoked protective emotions from all of his fellow Guardians, even the ever surly Easter Bunny.

"Hang in there, mate," whispered Bunnymund as Jack gripped at his warm course fur with his tiny fists in pain, staining the fur red with his blood as he did. "You're going to be fine, almost there."

Jack just bit down on his lip and shut his eyes tightly in response.

*Trying my hand at fantasy, so I hope it works! -Ari


	2. Right in the Feels

When they arrived at the pole, Bunnymund hopping out of his tunnel and into the room had just for his visits with Jack in his arms, no one was there to greet them. Everything looked normal, the room was the same soft brown and green it always was, the bed was made, and the desk chair was pulled out, just as he had left it. The normalcy of it all caught the pooka off guard. In a way, he had been expecting word to mysteriously fly ahead and let North know what had happened who in turn would tell Tooth and Sandy, but that clearly had not happened. No one was panicked save Bunnymund who bounded out of his room and towards North's personal workshop, a trembling winter spirit in his arms.

"Hello Bunny!" cheered North, his back turned as the oversized rabbit entered his domain. "What brings you here? I thought you would just send Jack back when you two were finished."

"I would but seeing how he can't walk it didn't seem like the best idea," drawled Bunnymund sarcastically.

"What?" roared North, turning on his heels and spying the smaller Guardian in Bunnymunds arms.

"Keep your voice down, mate!" hissed Bunnymund. "You're scaring him. Easy, Frostbite. You're safe now. We'll patch you up in no time."

"Here, set him here," motioned North, his voice lower.

Bunnymund did as he was bid, settling Jack on the large bed in the corner where North would sleep when he was up late working. Jack looked even smaller than normal in the red sheets made for the largest Guardian of them all. North simply tore off the already stained and ripped blue sweat shirt, revealing Jacks bruised chest.

"What happened?" asked North softly, inspecting the damage with his critical eyes.

"It was Pitch," sighed Bunnymund. "Let's get Jack fixed up while I explain. I don't like this one bit."

Jack was still awake when Sandy and Tooth arrived, in too much pain to sleep but unwilling to pass out. He just stared at the ceiling above, memorizing the wooden pattern on the beams and counting the spider web cracks that laced around the plaster. North had wrapped him chest which made it easier to breathe and Bunnymund had bandaged his hands until they looked as if they were white mittens. Sandy floated over to him on a golden cloud. For a moment, he smiled down at the winter spirit sadly, then he sent a stream of dream sand over his white hair, creating images of flying and snow fun for the boy to sleep with.

"But what is Pitch trying to do?" pondered Tooth as she zoomed about the room. "Look, I'm glad Jack's alright, but I really need to get back to collecting teeth. You'll keep me posted on the Pitch front?"

"Of course," assured North. "Jack will be fine in a few days. I need to get back to making presents, though as well."

"I'll stick around and help," offered Bunnymund.

"Why Bunny," cooed Tooth. "Have you gone soft? Do you really care about Jack?"

"Go get your teeth, Tooth," growled Bunnymund. "North is going to get behind with the kid to look out for, I'm just helping him out like you all did for Easter."

Tooth giggled but left in a flash, returning to her fairies and teeth.

Just then, Jack began to scream in terror.

North, Bunnymund, and Sandy all rushed over to the bed to find Jack surrounded by black dream sand. Sandy looked at his own hands in confusion. He knew he had given Jack good dreams. Pitch was nowhere in sight, Jack should not be having nightmares.

"Jack, wake up!" yelled North, shaking the boy to no avail.

"That's what he meant," gasped Bunnymund, finally understanding.

"What do you mean?" demanded North as Jack quit sceaming but began to toss and turn in is slumber.

"Pitch said he only wanted Jack," explained Bunnymund. "Sandy, you have to do something about this! This is why Pitch gave up so easily. He was trying to plant doubts in Jack's mind before about us not wanting him. He must have managed to get a bit of nightmare sand on him before he left. Sandy, please, wake him up!"

With a deep breath, Sandy placed his hands on either side of Jack's face and began sucking all of the dream sand and nightmare sand back into his system. The nightmare sand fought him and the others could tell it was hurting Jack to have it removed, but like a poison, it had to happen and the end result would be worth the pain. It took Sandy and hour to get all of the sand away from Jack, but when he did, the boy awoke with a start, gasping for breath as if he had just sprinted a mile.

"Jack, can you hear me?" said North in his booming voice.

Jack stared up at North, then Sandy, then Bunnymund slowing his breathing before he answered.

"Jack?" repeated North slowly.

"Why did you ignore me for all of those years?" asked Jack, his voice rough from the screaming.

"What are you talking about?"

"You ignored me for the last 300 years!" yelled Jack. "I want to know why!"

"Jack, this is Pitch talking," said North reasonably. "Don't let him get inside your head."

"No, I want to know," snapped Jack. "Pitch was right, you did ignore me for 300 years and then suddenly you want to be my friend. Bunnymund at least acknowledged me every once in a while. You just wrote me off as naughty and never tried to ask why! For years I tried to break in here to talk to you but I was always turned away. So why did you ignore me? Why don't you like me? What did I do wrong?"

By the end, icy blue tears were streaming down Jacks face and North looked heartbroken.

"Why don't you want me, North?" whispered Jack.

*Thank you so much for reading. Your support really means the world to me! And thank you to all the favorites/follows/reviews, they really give me something to look forward to in my stupid bed rest state (I have mono and got hit by a car so no running around like a chicken for me :(). Always-Ari


	3. Wait, Bunny is SOFT?

It hung there in the air, 300 years of uncertainty and abandonment dangling out in the open. Suddenly, the reality of all North had let happen, the damage he had caused Jack, barely more than a child but not quite an adult, hit him like an ugly black industrial train. Jack may have been prompted by Pitch and his nightmare mare but it was all true just the same. There on his boyish features was written out the story of pain no child should ever know and North had caused it.

"Jack, I'm sorry," said North slowly, hanging his head in shame.

"I'm not interested in sorry," replied Jack icily. "I want an answer."

"I didn't know what to do with you," admitted North, running a hand through his thick white beard. "At first, I didn't even know you existed; I knew Jack had drowned saving his little sister from the same fate but I didn't hear of you until you appeared on my naughty list. I was busy, I guess before, but then I did pay attention. You were so wild and reckless, you caused blizzards for fun and didn't seem to care what people thought. I never realized it was because you couldn't be seen. I knew you couldn't be seen by the children but I never connected you acting out to just needing some belief. I didn't know how to handle your energy so I left you alone. After all the damage you did just for a laugh I certainly couldn't have you in my workshop, so I locked you out of there as well. But I wasn't the only one! Bunnymund ignored you too! He still calls you a terror. It wasn't just me."

Bunnymund glared at his old friend who was trying to pass the buck on to him.

"Every year Bunnymund gave me a single egg, did you know that?" said Jack quietly. "He always left one for me to find, a place only I could get, normally in a tree. He did that every year, even after the blizzard of '68. Why did you do that, by the way, Bunny?"

"You're still a kid, mate," shrugged Bunnymund, embarrassed buy pleased that Jack remembered his yearly present. "I guess I just liked the surprise on your face each year when you found your egg. You were always shocked, every single year, as if you thought I would forget, but you were always thrilled as well. I liked thinking I had gotten the better of your mischief."

North felt ashamed as he realized that even Bunnymund had made a small effort. Jack had still been alone, still ignored, but at least he had something to hold on too. As he thought about it, Jack's blizzard on Easter Sunday was probably his way of thanking the pooka.

"I was wrong to ignore you, Jack," said North, looking the young spirit in his startling blue eyes. "I know that sorry isn't good enough and that I can never make up for all those years, but I promise you I will never abandon you again and I will never quit trying to fix this."

Jack held North's gaze for a long moment, then sighed and nodded. The temperature, which had dropped dramatically, began to climb as Jack relaxed back into the pillows. It would be a long time before he trusted North or anyone to not leave him, but at least some progress had been made. North leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. Perhaps the run in with Pitch was not a bad thing; it got them to clear the air a bit.

Absently, Jack created a light snow outside with fat, heavy snowflakes, the type that weigh down eye lashes and drench coats. Soon it covered the entire pole, forming a muffling white blanket to keep the ones beneath it safe from Pitch. Once the snow had covered everything, Jack tried to sit up a bit taller, only to let out a hiss of pain as bolts of agony shot through his hands.

Without a word, Bunnymund placed another pillow behind Jack's back to support him. Then he went back to his knitting.

"You knit?" said Jack skeptically.

"Don't act surprised, mate," replied Bunnymund loftily. "Knitting is relaxing. You should try it sometime instead of playing tricks."

"No thanks," replied Jack. "There's actually something I need to talk to you about."

"Alrighty," said Bunnymund. "Do we need to call North over here?"

"No, I don't think so. I mean, he would probably be interested but I don't want him interrupting me."

"Fair enough."

"So here's the thing," said Jack, lowering his voice. "Pitch gave up too quickly. And frankly, I'm not too fond of the dreams he gave me. It's almost like he was mocking me."

"How so?"

"Well, he kept showing me images of the pole burning down, of me standing there as you all walked away, and of the elves turning on us."

"Those are strange dreams to give you. Why didn't he just prey on your fears?"

"Because I'm not actually afraid of much," admitted Jack.

"What about being abandoned?" asked Bunnymund, hating himself for bringing it up.

"I've been alone for 300 years, Bunny, it doesn't scare me. It's not like I've been around you all long enough to get attached. No, that's a fear he would use against you all, but it doesn't work for me. But what gets me is why would he want to burn the north pole?"

"Better question is how would he turn the elves against us? And you would he want to? They are tiny and stupid creatures."

"Never underestimate that power of stupid creatures in large numbers."

"Maybe they're just dreams, mate," sighed Bunnymund. "I wouldn't worry too much on them. Why don't you go back to sleep so you can get back to causing mayhem?"

"No, I think I'll just stay awake, thanks," replied Jack stubbornly.

"Jack, you need rest," reasoned Bunnymund. "Don't make me call Sandy over here."

"Don't!" said Jack, panicked. "Please don't! I don't want to go to sleep. I don't want to have those dreams."

The pooka took in Jack's stricken face and sighed. For him to be that antsy about going to sleep, Pitch had to have given him a nightmare worse than he admitted. Against his better judgment, Bunnymund nodded and went back to knitting with his silvery yarn allowing exhaustion and pain take its toll on the youngest Guardian, knowing that would eventually put him to sleep. When Jack finally did drift off, Bunnymund realized Jack had every reason to be afraid. Pitch, it seemed, was targeting his dreams.

*Thank you for your support! I hope you are enjoying the story! -Ari


	4. Rants and Snow Storms

Jack never slept for more than five minutes before nightmares entered his dreams and woke him up. Sandy did the best he could, but nothing worked. Morning dawned on the pole, sunlight peaking through the snow covered windows, and Jack was awake to see it, tired and still in pain but awake.

"Sandy, you have to figure something out how to fix this," said North, spying the youngest Guardian still stilling up in bed, eyes wide and staring.

Sandy sent him a stream of images that clearly said he was doing his best.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," sighed North.

With his immortal body healing at a quick rate, Jack managed to get out of bed with only minor twinges from his ribs. His hands were still bloody messes, but he hobbled over and redid the bandages so he could at least grip things. Then he gathered his staff in his right hand and made his way to the window.

"Where do you think you're going?" demanded North, spying the winter spirit's movements.

"I have to go bring winter to kids," replied Jack.

"Not like that you aren't."

"Excuse me?" said Jack, raising a single eyebrow. "You're not the boss of me. Trust me, I've been doing this for 300 years, I'll be fine."

"Jack, you have enemies now," explained North. "Pitch is still out there and you're exhausted. It's not smart to do this."

"I'm not letting the kids down," replied Jack. "I'll see you later."

With that, he blew the window open and flew off on the wind, allowing the cold air to revive him in a way that almost made up for not sleeping. Almost.

"Of all the irresponsible, foolhardy things to do!" ranted North, storming around his workshop. "I can't believe that boy!"

"He's not a child, North," said Bunnymund.

"He's not an adult either!"

"But he is a Guardian and he has a job to do just like you and me. He's right, he's been at this for 300 years, let him be."

"I thought you didn't like him?"

"He's a troublesome fellow, I'll give him that," admitted Bunnymund. "But, I don't know, I think he's just having a rough time right now. I mean, think about it mate. What if you went from being ignored for your entire existence to suddenly being a part of a group and then people telling you what to do. How would you react?"

"I'd do what I was told because they probably know better!" roared North.

"Then mate, I'm telling you to leave Jack alone. I know you're worried about him, but you have to let him do things on his own time."

With that, Bunnymund left North sputtering and returned to his warren.

The air was refreshing, feeling it ruffle his snowy hair like an old friend while the currents whisked him away from the pole. Snowflakes swirled around his body, tickling his bare feet, causing him to laugh with glee. Flying was the most freeing thing he could think of next to playing in the snow. When he was in the air, it was as if nothing could touch him, as if nothing mattered.

As the wind swept him over towns, he left snow in his wake until finally landing in a tree in Buffalo Center, Iowa. There, he sat and let his thoughts catch up to him.

Try as he might, he could not understand why North didn't want him out. North seemed so intent on Jack upholding his job and bringing joy to children but then when Jack wanted to go out, North did not want him to because of Pitch. Why did North not see that Jack was not afraid of Pitch? That Jack needed his freedom to roam.

The more Jack thought about it, the more upset he got, the harder it snowed. Soon an all out blizzard was attacking the little town of less than 1000 people, sweeping through the barren fields, burying the streets and cars in a thick wet white blanket. Without meaning to, Jack had created a real problem for the town, not just a snow day for the kiddos.

"North is going to kill me," said Jack out loud, a habit of his.

The blizzard began taking its toll on the young Guardian and his restless night began to catch up to him. He knew he needed to find a place to rest but with Pitch still about, his options were limited. What he needed was a place of his own like the other Guardians had, a place that was safe and all his. Unfortunately if seemed as if sleep was more important than finding his own place, so Jack agilely jumped into the air and rode a blast of wind in the direction he knew he could rest in peace.

As soon as he found the entrance, Jack was sure to seal it with his staff. No sooner had he done that and found a soft spot did he curl up and fall asleep. Just as he fell asleep, Bunnymund entered his warren through the same tunnel, glaring about to find the intruder. He spotted Jack asleep on the ground and sighed. As much as the kid annoyed him, Bunnymund had to respect him. He wasn't sure he could have made it 300 years on his own and invisible without turning to more sinister means to get attention. He would yell at Jack when the winter spirit woke up, but for that instant he decided to let him sleep. As Bunnymund turned away, though, Jack let out a scream that could curdle milk. The nightmares were back.

*Sorry it's late and it would have been longer but I had to spend my time finishing a 103 page report. I hope you enjoy and it will be picking up speed shortly, no worries!-Ari


	5. Real of Not?

"Oi!" shouted Bunnymund. "Wake up mate! You're scaring the eggs!"

Jack shot into the air, up seven feet before losing his grip and tumbling down like an anvil. The Easter Bunny caught him then set him on the ground. Jack looked about for the danger his mind had created only to find lush green grass, confused eggs, and a blank faced empty handed Bunnymund.

"Oh," said Jack, straightening out of his defensive stance. "Sorry, I guess I had a nightmare."

"Mate, you have issues," stated Bunnymund.

"Tell me about it, Kangaroo," grinned Jack. "But no worries. I'm sure that if I find and defeat Pitch then I can finally get a bit of rest."

"What do you see when you sleep?"

"It's not safe," replied Jack quietly, his grin slipping. "He's always there, stronger than me, and I'm alone and I can't stop him."

"Do you think that maybe if you were in a place you felt safe then the dreams wouldn't be so bad?"

Jack shrugged his thin shoulders. "Maybe."

"Well, where do you feel safe?"

Jack hopped onto the top of his staff, marching thoughtfully with practiced ease. His mind flew through all of the places he had visited over the years, trying to find one that made him feel secure. Anywhere cold he was comfortable in but safe?

"I've never felt entirely safe," replied Jack at last. "I've always just roamed about; I've never found a place I feel safe at. I think I just don't have anyone I trust enough to have my back when I sleep."

"Enjoying my little gift?" asked Pitch, pealing himself away from the shadows.

"I have got to get a security system!" groaned Bunnymund. "Pitch, fix this and I'll give you a head start running."

"No," laughed Pitch. "It's more fun watching little Jack suffer."

Jack shot ice at Pitch, effectively freezing him in a large blue white block, surprise etched on the dark spirits face.

"What did you do?" asked Bunnymund, lifting an eyebrow.

"He was annoying me and I'm tired, so I'm not in the mood for his games," shrugged Jack. "He can't break out of that for another few hours at least. We should let North know."

"You tell him, Frostbite," said Bunnymund, taking out his boomerangs and settling down for a wait. "I'll keep an eye on our friend here."

"Okay," yawned Jack before taking flight and zooming back out of the tunnel.

Jack hurtled into North's workshop an impossibly short time later, skidding to a halt on his bare feet while leaving a trail of black ice in his wake.

"North, we caught Pitch in Bunny's warren," said Jack, stumbling a bit in exhaustion. "Oh, hello Tooth. Hey Sandy."

"You have Pitch?" demanded North. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," said Jack, rolling his eyes impatiently. "That Pitch is frozen in Bunnymunds warren. Bunny's watching him right now. So come on, let's go deal with him so we can get on with our lives."

"But Jack," said North, slowly approaching the young spirit. "How can Pitch be there where he's right here?"

North moved aside and revealed Pitch in chains kneeling by North's worktable. Jack blinked dumbly at him for a moment before looking at North.

"I'm so confused!" whined Jack, saying the first thing that popped into his mind.

"It's really not that complicated, Jack," said Pitch, causing Jack to turn back and face him.

Pitch was no longer in chains but striding forward confidently.

"I'm not in the mood," snapped Jack.

"Oh, is the poor baby cranky because he missed his nap?" teased Pitch. "You see Jack, it's all too late. I've already taken all of your fellow Guardians hostage. All of this, this is an illusion. Really, you can be so dumb but then again, you are just a kid. The Guardians didn't want you anyway, but we've already established that fact, haven't we? Yes. So, now I want you to do me a favor and just give up."

Jack found he couldn't move, his arms pinned to his sides by black sand that was too warm to the touch for his comfort.

"If this is an illusion, then I think I'll just open my eyes and wake up now," replied Jack.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned Pitch. "My illusions are very special. You wake yourself up and you will find yourself in a very unpleasant place."

"Anywhere is better than here," replied Jack. "Besides, if you really had the Guardians than we wouldn't be having an imaginary conversation, we would be talking face to face. Call me when you have a real threat."

With that, Jack bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, tasting icy blood as the pain shot through him, waking him up. He opened his eyes to the bright sun and rolled over on the soft ground, burying his face from the light with a groan. All he really wanted was to sleep.

"Is that too much to ask?" he screamed to the sky.

The sky did not answer, just winked down at him from above, gloating in its silence.

"Wait," said Jack suddenly, jumping to his feet and staring around. "I could have sworn I fell asleep in the warren. How the bloody monkeys did I get here?"

In the back of his head, he swore he heard Pitch chuckle.

*Well, I think this chapter sucked and the entire writing in general is far from good, so my apologies there.-Ari


	6. Get Out of my Head!

"What do you mean you lost him?" roared North, glaring at Bunnymund in the middle of the globe room. "How could you lose him?"

"He was supposed to be here!" snapped Bunnymund. "He left after he froze Pitch and said he was flying here to get you. He took too long, so I locked Pitch out of my warren and came here to see what the hold up was. You mean he never arrived?"

"No!" groaned North. "I swear, sometimes that kid is more trouble than all the children on the naughty list combined."

"Oh shut up, North," growled Bunnymund. "You act so high and mighty, like you give a damn about Jack but you've always written him off. You think the worst of him every time yet you welcome him with open arms when it suits you. No, that's not how this work. Jack's a pain in the rear sometimes and has all the energy of a coffee flavored pixie stick but he is a good kid and a great Guardian. Probably the best out of us all because he's actually spent time with children. So just lay off already!"

North stared at Bunnymund in shock.

"You dare-" sputtered North, advancing on him.

"Yes, I dare," said Bunnymund. "Now you talk to Sandy and see if he has any leads, I'm going to go check around, see if I can find anything. Oh, and send someone to pick up Pitch. I don't care what you do with him. If I were you, I'd throw him off the side of a ship in the middle of the Atlantic tied down to a weight and let him sink. Oh, and call Tooth, she'll want to know that Jack's missing. Maybe her little fairies can help find him."

With that, Bunnymund walked out to find Jack, leaving an irate North alone in the globe room.

Jack glared about him, not liking how the situation was turning out at all. Belize, he was in Belize and he was hot. How he got to Belize was beyond him but he was there and he needed to leave. Normally he would just hop on the wind and fly away. If he flew high enough then he would be cool. There, just out of his reach in the sky was cool air, something that wouldn't melt him.

"There you are!" laughed a voice.

Jack turned to the sound, blinking in the light, out of the scant shade he had found under a dying tree. It wasn't much but it was better than direct sunlight. His normally messy white hair was damp and plastered to his head like a helmet. His normally pale cheeks were flushed red, his icy blue eyes bright with exhaustion and dehydration.

"I was wondering where you got to," grinned Pitch. "I told you not to break the illusion, Jack. I told you it wouldn't be pleasant. But you just never listen, do you, Jack? Why can't you listen? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you didn't listen, this is way more amusing for me."

"Go away, Pitch," groaned Jack. "I'm not afraid of you, so just leave me alone."

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" sneered Pitch, squatting down in front of the winter spirit. "This is all in your head. You've done all of this to yourself. You got distracted on the wind flying to the pole and ended up here. None of this is really happening. You screwed up, Jack because that's all you ever do. But you know what's funny? What's hilarious is the fact that the Guardians aren't going to come for you. They never did before, did they? Why would they now?"

"Because I'm one of them," whispered Jack, trying to convince himself. "They need me."

"They don't care," laughed Pitch. "You know that because this is all in your head. You are thinking all of this, not me. Sure, Tooth will probably try to find you, maybe even the Sand Man, but I wouldn't put my money on Bunnymund or North. Hell, I would bet on the bunny before the fat man. But let's be honest, the fairy and the sand dune are the weakest of the Guardians. They alone will never defeat me. North may have a shot, he's fairly old, he knows more. The bunny is pretty good too, you may be growing on him. But again, they never would have defeated me if not for you. And now they don't need you."

"I don't like you," declared Jack. "Now go away. If you really are in my head, leave. You annoy me and I'm sleepy."

"As you wish."

Pitch disappeared in a flash, leaving Jack staring at-

"Bunny?" said Jack, throwing himself back onto the ground in frustration. "Why won't my head leave me alone? I just want some sleep! Pitch! I swear if you don't get out of my head and leave me alone I'm going to freeze you and fly you to the moon and let the Man in the Moon deal with you."

"Pitch?" said Bunnymund in confusion. "Mate, let's get you out of the sun."

"No!" groaned Jack from his place on the ground. "Just leave me to die. You're in my head, just like everything else! Seriously, go!"

With that, Bunnymund popped out of existence, leaving Jack to sit quietly on the ground waiting for the heat to do it's job.

*Sorry it's a bit late. Anyway, thank you for all the feed back. I love it! Hope you are enjoying the story so far. And see the little box down there, the sad little empty one? Why not put some words in it, make it less empty? Hahahaha. Always-Ari


	7. For Real This Time

"In my next life I'm going to be a dinosaur," declared Jack to the sky. "Something cool like a velociraptor that is smart and can open doors. Oh, or maybe I'll be Velcro! Yeah, I'll be Velcro so I can stick to anything and keep things together. You hear that, Man in the Moon! I want to be a Velcro velociraptor next time!"

The Man in the Moon did not respond, but Jack didn't expect an answer. He knew he was going crazy from the heat and the sun was still awake, so it's not like he could even see the moon. He was yelling at thin air.

"As cool as a Velcro velociraptor sounds," said a deep voice near his head as a form blocked out the oppressive sun. "I think you ought to stick to beings that actually exist."

"Oh, like a magical winter spirit is all that plausible!" scoffed Jack, giggling weakly. "Didn't I already tell you to get out of my head?"

Bunnymund gave him a confused look before scooping him up off the ground.

"You're losing it, mate," stated Bunnymund. "How about we go to the pole and get you cooled off."

"No," said Jack, leaning his head against Bunnymunds shoulder. "I already told you Pitch, I don't like you in my mind."

"It's Bunnymund, not Pitch," corrected Bunnymund, his alarm growing. He raced through one of his tunnels, desperate to get Jack cool and coherent.

"Oh yeah? Well if you're really Bunnymund than why are you here?" Jack said, posing the question. "You hate me, especially after the blizzard of '68. You and the other Guardians don't even want me around. You always thought I was too much trouble before, nothing has changed now."

"You are a pain, kid, but you're family now, so you're stuck with us. Deal with it."

With that, Bunnymund threw Jack into a snowbank unceremoniously. They were outside of the North Pole, the lights inside glimmering softly like little solar systems, each with their own window. Bunnymund huddled into his fur and watched anxiously as the color slowly drained from Jacks face and it returned to its normal pale hue. Jack blinked several times as if to clear his vision, his hands patting the snowy white ground, shaking snow out of his already refreezing hair, a grin settling back into place.

"Oh," said Jack, his face turning confused as he spotted Bunnymund.

"Are you sane yet?" said Bunnymund skeptically.

"I don't know," admitted Jack. "When's the last time you saw me?"

"You were leaving my warren to get North because you froze Pitch."

"Finally!" exclaimed Jack, throwing himself back into the snow. "That's the last real thing I remember! Then I was at the Pole and Pitch was there but I don't think that was real because I woke up and was in Belize."

"You really were in Belize, mate."

"How did I end up there?"

"Beats me. I only found you because I was taking a short cut through Belize to southern South America and I spotted your jumper. That thing was a bit of a dead giveaway. No sane person wear's a jumper in the middle of Belize."

"Wait, why were you going to South America? I thought you were watching Pitch!"

"You took too long. Don't worry, North and Tooth have Pitch last I heard. When I found out you were missing I went looking for you."

"North was mad, wasn't he?" said Jack quietly.

"What?" asked Bunnymund, caught off guard by the question.

"North was mad when I went missing," stated Jack. "He still thinks I'm too much trouble; that I'm just an irresponsible spirit."

"North isn't used to your power," explained Bunnymund slowly. "He's used to being the biggest and the strongest out of us all and now there's you. You may be just a bit bigger than an ankle biter, mate, but you're more powerful than we even know. North has to get used to that."

"But he's right about me. I am wild and irresponsible."

"We both know that's a lie," sighed Bunnymund. "But let's get inside and deal with Pitch. You need rest and I'm freezing my tail off."

"Poor Kangaroo!" cooed Jack, launching into the air with ease.

"Shut up!"

Jack just laughed and flew through the window that was always left open for him. Phil the yeti had come to the realization that Jack was not used to doors having spent all of his existence having to sneak because no one could see him or wanted him around, so he made sure that the window to a spare room was always left open so Jack could come and go as he wished. Jack, for his part, tried not to ice too many walk ways over for the yeti in thanks. It was an unspoken agreement they had that had ended most antagonizing that went on between the two.

With the wind happily holding him aloft, Jack zoomed through the workshop until he reached the globe room at the same time as Bunnymund.

*Sorry is took a bit longer to update but here it is! I hope you like it!-Ari


	8. A Memory

"Where's Pitch?" asked Jack, perching lightly on top of the globe and sweeping the room with his gaze to find the captive.

"We couldn't find him," grumbled North.

"What?" said Jack. "I thought Bunny left him with you."

"No, mate," said Bunny. "I locked Pitch outside of my warren and then met up with North here. He must have figured out a way out before North got to him."

Jack eyed North slowly then sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"We'll find him, Jack," assured Tooth, flying up to be at eye level with the youngest Guardian. "Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," said Jack. "I'm just tired."

"Why are you so tired?" asked Tooth, fluttering around him in a dizzying fashion.

"Haven't slept," shrugged Jack.

He jumped off the globe and floated like a snowflake to the ground. With ease, he waltzed up to North, a grin playing at his face. Nothing seemed to bother Jack for long.

"North, how long ago did Pitch disappear?" asked Jack, looking up to the large man.

"How am I supposed to know?" snapped North, in a sour mood at being outsmarted by Pitch and having to answer to a young, mischievous spirit.

"We found him missing a few hours ago," offered Tooth.

Sandy created golden images above his head, conveying a wet melted spot on the ground where Pitch was supposed to be. Jack raised his eyebrows and sighed.

"Look, North," began Bunnymund, hopping to the older spirit. "I know you're still sore mate, but we need your help. So can you please cooperate?"

North stormed out of the globe room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"I'll go reason with him," said Tooth, zooming out of the room and after the burly man.

Jack rose into the air and settled himself on a rafter which instantly iced over. Sandy and Bunnymund were holding a conversation as they waited, discussing why North was upset, where Pitch could be, and what to do about Jack. For his part, Jack absently traced patterns on the wood creating frost images, his mind 204 years away.

_It was Christmas Eve and Jack was sitting on the roof of a house in London, England. Smoke rose out of the chimney but Jack was content to make it snow. The snow created a soft blanket around the city_, _undisturbed by anyone so that when the children woke up in the morning they would have a fresh layer of clean snow to play in with their new toys. Suddenly, bells reached his ears and Jack rose into the air, looking for the source of the ringing. If joy was a sound, it would have been the sound of those bells. _

_"Hello?" called Jack, twisting around._

_A huge sleigh landed eight houses over and a large, laughing man jumped out in his big red coat. He disappeared down the chimney as Jack flew to the sleigh. It was filled with bags of presents, each labeled to a child of the world. Suddenly, the man launched out of the chimney. Jack sat on the runner of the sleigh and is hopped to the next house. As the man disappeared again, Jack took a better look through the bags. He repeated the pattern for several towns until he had checked every single bag and at last found a list sitting at the front. One half had "Nice" written across the top while the other had "Naughty" written on it. _

_"Oh," said Jack._

_There at the very top of the Naughty list was his name, Jack Frost, written in faded ink signifying that it had been there for a while. _

_"I guess that makes sense," sighed Jack. _

_With that he dropped the list in the snow and flew into the air. Hurt and pain raged inside him as a blizzard formed. Soon there was more snow and wind than Jack knew what to do with, so he sent it go, spreading it across land and sea, letting it cover a large area so it would do less damage. The wind carried the strangled angry cry of North to Jack's sensitive ears._

_"Jack!" screamed North._

_Jack couldn't even grin as he sat above the storm on his staff, knowing he had caused North a huge delay. _

_"I do deserve to be on the naughty list I suppose," said Jack even though no one could hear him. "Fine."_

_He let a path clear for North to continue his rounds, not enough for North to know what he was doing but still enough that he could deliver all of the present on time. The children shouldn't suffer because he was a bad person._

Blinking, Jack looked down at Sandy and Bunnymund, both lounging in chairs still waiting on North and Tooth.

"You okay, kid?" called Bunnymund, noticing Jack staring down at them.

"I'm sorry about all the trouble I've caused," said Jack. "I didn't mean to be such a terrible person. I just wanted someone to talk to, someone to see me."

Bunnymund, just as uncomfortable with the admission as Jack had been making it, just nodded.

"You are the worst Guardian ever chosen!" came the roar as the door to the globe room blew open, startling Jack enough that he fell off the rafter and to the ground with a painful smack.

*Sorry it took some time to update, I was super busy catching up on other work. Hope you liked it anyway.-Ari


	9. Well This is Awkward

_"So the rules of the convent are simple enough," said Sister Mary Michael to the young girl. "This is your room. We spend our time in reflection, out serving the children, and praying to the Lord in all that we do. Meals are served twice a day, before sunrise and after sunset. Any questions?"_

_"No," said the young girl._

_"Then I will let you get settled and see you at dinner," replied Sister Mary Michael, shutting the door and walking out._

_The room was no larger than a closet, a space for a bed, a small wardrobe with only two habits, and a tiny bedside table that held a bible and rosary and candle for reading. Emily, no older than 15 years old, added her calendar to the stand and sat on the slat of wood that was pretending to be a bed._

_November 9, 1825 it read, right on top of the word of God._

_Jack sat in the window sill that was open and so slim that no normal human could fit through but Jack was so small he easily fit. The winter spirit had followed Emily all the way to the convent when her parents turned her out. They had too many children and winter was hard, so off to the convent went the oldest girl while the older boys worked to bring home food. The start of winter always interested Jack around that time because people made different preparations. Over the years he had taken a liking to Emily and her family. Emily always played well with her younger siblings, taking them out in the snow to keep them out of her mother's hair, going hungry when there wasn't enough so the younger ones could eat. Jack had been there creating little snowflakes for them to play in when their mother told Emily she was going to the convent and decided to escort her there to make sure she was safe._

_"It's going to be fine," said Emily to the room in general, her voice quavering a bit. "It will be like an adventure, a game. The sisters are nice after all and I will get two meals a day and my own room. Oh, and Sister Mary Michael said we get to serve the children, so that will be good. Maybe I will get to see the kids and sneak them some food. I miss them already. But Peter and Andrew promised to take care of them, so I need to trust them on this."_

_Jack watched in silence, feeling her pain. For 100 years he had no one to talk to and he knew what that was like, talking out loud just for something to do, to pretend that someone cared. He liked Emily, she was nice._

_"I'll look after the kids this winter," assured Jack. "I promise, no big blizzards, not too much snow so they can still get food. But they will still have fun."_

_"God, if you can hear me, please, just make sure the kids are okay," whispered Emily. "Send me a sign, anything, just let me know they are going to be okay. I can't do this if they aren't being taken care of."_

_Obligingly, Jack blew in little snowflakes, making them dance on the air, swirling around Emily's dirty sunshine hair before settling on her lap and slowly melting. Then, Jack made a single ice snowflake, the kind that wouldn't melt, and set it in her hand._

_"I promise to make sure they're okay."_

_"Thank you, Guardian," whispered Emily as Jack jumped out of the window. _

_For a moment, he could have sworn she looked right at him but then the moment was gone and Jack was flying through the air to the little farm house that housed the rest of Emily's family to keep his promise._

Jack blinked painfully up at a very angry, very dangerous, North. The Naughty and Nice tattoos stood out on his bulging muscles. One of those arms was easily bigger than Jack's head. Doing the only thing he could, Jack stood up, not floated, just stood, bare feet icing the ground, looking up without a trace of fear into the normally jolly face of the Guardian everyone seemed to look at as their leader. Jack studied it for a long moment then saw what he needed to see. That was it, that was all it took, before Jack lifted his staff a fraction of an inch off the ground and sent a stream of ice spiraling around North.

A loud bang and flash and Bunnymund was sitting on top of Jack.

"Are you bonkers?" screamed Bunnymund. "Why would you try to freeze North? What's the matter with you."

"Look," gestured Jack, pointing behind Bunnymund.

There, in the side of the room, was a large cage of ice and black and in the center was North, sitting on the ground, looking stunned. Bunnymund got off of Jack and studied the cage with interest.

"Why does it look like that?" he asked.

"Pitch is in North somehow," sighed Jack. "That's why he's so volatile. I saw the black around the eyes, that's why I shot ice at him, but he tried to stop it. Since Pitch is still weak, I think that's why he failed. So, Sandy, this is your area. Can you get Pitch out of there so we can get this thing sorted out? I'm really tired."

As if to prove it, Jack yawned and leaned back against the desk as Sandy approached the cage.

*Sorry for the wait, mono is back with a vengeance. But here it is! Hope you enjoyed!-Ari


	10. Real Power

Pitch, it seemed, wasn't unwilling to leave North's body. He jumped right out, leaving the Russian on the floor in a heap of unawareness. Jack easily shot up another wall of ice to separate the two, Sandy infusing it with his own dream sand to keep the more sinister spirit in place.

"This is sloppy work, even for you," said Tooth, fluttering around the room in distress.

Pitch did not bother watching her. He was in a cage, he could not get to his beloved shadows, and Tooth would not hurt him in his current state. There were only two Guardians who worried him, Sandy and Jack Frost. Sandy he was weary of because the Nightmare King was his opposite and over the centuries Sandy had dealt him more smarting blows than Pitch cared to remember. Jack Frost was the wild card. Pitch hated him for the way the boy turned out. Both of them had been left alone to fend for themselves and while Pitch had turned to darkness and fear, Jack had turned to laughter and joy. It was infuriating, watching the boy pretend that nothing was wrong, as if the pain of being ignored didn't eat him from within.

"It's not just you, is it?" said Jack suddenly breaking Pitch's concentration, sitting up straighter against the desk.

"What are you talking about, mate?" asked Bunnymund, eying the youngest Guardian in surprise.

Jack ignored him, his eyes locked on the Nightmare King.

"Pitch, you are working with someone," said Jack, walking over to the cage. "Who are you working with?"

"Very good, Jack," sneered Pitch, something in his eyes that caught Jack's attention that he could not quite place. "But the problem is, who am I working with? That, I think, is for me to know and for you to find out."

"Wow, last time I heard that line I was riding my pet dinosaur," laughed Jack.

"Real mature," hissed Pitch. "What makes you think you are going to win this one? You don't even know who you are facing!"

"He teamed up with you, he can't be that bright," shrugged Jack, turning away, irking Pitch with his casual demeanor.

"I am real power, Jack Frost! You have no idea! And what are you? You're nothing but a child. You will forever be a child. And you know what's sad? That you will forever be a child no one wants! I will have this world and you will be mine. You can't escape fear! And my counterpart is far more powerful that you know! We will crush you and your stupid Guardians and then I will make you watch as I take everything that is precious to you and destroy it."

"Okay," shrugged Jack. "Well, let me know if 'real power' wants a coloring book or something."

With that, he walked out of the room, staff flung carelessly over his right shoulder. Bunnymund walked out after the winter spirit leaving Sandy and Tooth to guard Pitch and look after North. By the time Bunnymund reached the hall, Jack was at the opposite end, sliding down the wall into a sitting position, his head falling into his hands.

"You alright, Frostbite?" asked Bunnymund, placing a gentle hand on the youngsters shoulder.

"I'm fine, just tired," replied Jack, grinning tiredly up at the grumpy Guardian.

"How did you know that Pitch was working with someone else?"

It took him a moment. Jack closed his eyes briefly, flashes of emotion flying across his face faster than the wind, too quick for the Pooka to catch. He replayed all of the events of the past few days in his mind along with several memories of his past 300 years as an immortal. Being left alone and invisible had allowed Jack the ability to fly about unnoticed even by the other spirits. There wasn't a place in the world he hadn't been and that meant he'd seen far more than people gave him credit for. As young as he looked, he was still over 300 years old.

"Because he's too weak to be doing all of this on his own. Plus, I think I know who he's working with and I really hope I'm wrong."

*Hey! Sorry it took so long to update. For the past...2ish months now I have spent more time in the hospital than at home. But I am working on the story, I haven't forgotten you, I promise. -Ari


	11. Sleepy Jack

"You really ought to sleep, mate," said Bunnymund for the 27th time.

"I told you already, I can't until we figure out for sure who Pitch's accomplice is," snapped Jack, running a frustrated hand through his snowy hair. "Besides, I really don't want to wake up someplace like Death Valley or have a nightmare. It's easier to stay awake for right now. It's only been a three days, relax, Cottontail."

Bunnymund sighed but let it go. Jack floated on his back, staring at the golden strand of dream sand that meandered through the air, visiting each child and delivering pleasant dreams. They were on the roof of North's workshop. Bunnymund had found Jack laying out there a few hours before and the two had been discussing everything they knew about the possible spirits involved with Pitch. The night was cold but clear enough to see the half moon in the sky.

"It all comes back to Pain," said Bunnymund after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes, but he's not the only one working with Pitch," pointed out Jack. "My money is that Pain has teamed up with Chaos and they recruited Pitch as a decoy. Chaos can be very convincing."

"But Chaos hasn't been seen in almost four hundred years!"

"False. You haven't seen Chaos in almost four hundred years. I saw Chaos shortly after I was born. Chaos tried to recruit me but I was too interested in having fun to join."

"Chaos tried to what?! Why didn't you tell us?"

"When was I supposed to do that, exactly? It's not like I was high on any of your priorities list before now. Besides, once I said no, Chaos left me alone, not being one to ask twice. Always said I'd regret it, but that never bothered me."

"So Chaos, Pain, and the Nightmare King, all in one group," shuddered Bunnymund.

"Yes, but Pitch is dealt with already. Like I said, I really think he was just a distraction."

"A distraction for what, though?"

"I don't know, but I think we need to check the globe again, just to be sure there's no one spot being targeted yet."

"When did you become a general?" asked Bunnymund, helping Jack to his feet.

Jack ignored him and floated down the hall, not feeling steady enough to trust his legs to take him there without giving out. He was more exhausted than he cared to admit having had a busy few days and not sleeping on top of it. Unlike the other Guardians, he was part elemental spirit, so he could still exist without believers but he used his own energy to fuel his magic at times, so he needed more sleep than the others. The globe was just as they had left it, glowing and full of believers. Jack sighed and rubbed his head. There was something he was missing. Some crucial element was escaping dancing just out of his reach. If only he had a bit more sleep he could easily figure it out.

And that's when it hit him.

"Bunny, we need to stop them before they get a foothold."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," sneered Bunnymund. "If I hadn't been informed of that by you I never would have guessed that was what we needed to do. Thank you so much."

"No, I mean we need to stop them now!"

"Yes, but we don't know where they are and Pitch isn't talking."

"I know where Chaos is. Where else would Chaos be but the one place the humans expect insanity?"

"So, Chaos is at an mad house?"

"Try the Barbuda Triangle."

"That bastard."

Meeting Chaos on her own turf was not something Bunnymund was looking forward to doing. Not one bit.

*Here is to Girl In RandomLand. This one is all for you! :)-Ari


	12. Chaos

"Ready to go?" asked Jack, sitting on top of his staff, legs swinging restlessly.

It had been several hours after realizing where Chaos was hiding. Bunnymund had taken that time to alert the others and gather his weapons for any battle they may have. Jack, on the other hand, had settled in a rafter during that time, out of the way, and meditated, restoring his energy almost as efficiently sleeping, the high open window allowing the wind and cool air helping as much as sleep would have. Now he was eager to go. It was just Bunnymund and him going, letting the others watch Pitch and continue protecting the children of the world.

"Mate, I'm waiting on you right now," smirked Bunnymund before turning serious. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Just try to keep up, Cottontail," laughed Jack.

With that Bunnymund opened one of his tunnels and jumped in, Jack soaring after him, his laughter echoing through the workshop long after the hole closed and left a single white daisy as the only hint it had ever existed at all. Tooth flew away from the flower to check on North who was still out of it in his bed.

The tunnel opened to a tropical island, a hurricane raging on all sides, the eye of the storm resting perpetually over the patch of land. Bunnymund eyed the storm wearily but it was the warm temperature that worried him most.

"You going to be okay with this heat, Frostbite?" asked Bunnymund as he surveyed the beach.

"You're joking right?" grinned Jack. "I love beaches! Freezing waves is so much fun. One time, I froze a tsunami! It was brilliant!"

"I really need to spend more time with you, mate," said Bunnymund, shaking his head.

"Jack Frost!" called a grating voice from the trees. "And is that, the Easter Bunny I see?"

"Hello!" said Jack, riding the wind as Bunnymund followed. "Long time no see."

"To what do I owe this….visit?" asked Chaos, leaning against a palm tree.

There was no other word for it, she was ugly. Frozen at fifty, her skin was mildly wrinkled, not enough to mark her as old but enough that it was unpleasant to look at, her hair looked like a poorly dyed rainbow, frizzy and wild, her arms speckled and flabby, her build stocky, her clothing unflattering. Standing, Jack would be a few inches taller than her.

"Are you working with Pitch?" demanded Bunnymund.

Chaos smiled revealing crooked, yellow teeth.

"So impatient, Bunny," chuckled Chaos. "Why don't we sit down, have a cup of tea, and talk this over like civilized spirits."

"What's your plan? Are you trying to control the children of the world?"

"Bunny, would you please shut up and let me handle this?" hissed Jack soft enough that only Bunnymund's excellent hearing heard him.

Bunnymund glared at the younger spirit, furious that the boy thought he would do better than him in an interrogation. Jack, however, ignored him and leaned against his staff, grinning like the fool he was at Chaos.

"What type of tea do you have?" asked Jack.

"Jack Frost," said Chaos coldly. "Now you I actually hate."

"Oh, don't be like that," grinned Jack. "Come on, you said you wanted tea, so let's have tea."

"Get off of my island, Jack Frost," said Chaos coldly.

"But I just got here! It's been almost 300 years since we last talked, we have so much catching up to do. Bunny doesn't mind, do you, Bunny? Or, if you want, Bunny can go back and check on North and we can make it a date."

"Oh yes, he won't be the only one the fur ball will need to check on soon," smirked Chaos.

"So that's your play, to take out the spirits," smiled Jack.

Chaos's mouth dropped open before she snapped it shut again and glared at the young winter spirit. Jack bowed to her, Bunnymund eyeing him with new appreciation; maybe there was a method to his annoying madness after all. The appreciation didn't last long as Jack hit the ground, blood splattering the sand, Chaos's roar of anger blending with thunder as the hurricane picked up steam.

***Wow, it's been forever. Sorry about that. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and I will update faster.**

**Always-Ari**


	13. Turn Around

The storm picked up speed but Bunnymund had already gathered Jack into his arms and disappeared down a rabbit hole before it could impact him, leaving Chaos even more furious than before.

"Put me down, you over grown stuffed animal," groaned Jack, pushing against Bunnymund as the Pooka sprinted through the dark. "I'm fine."

"Shut up," said Bunnymund, appearing in the Warren.

He threw a struggling Jack over his shoulder and made his way quickly to his burrow. Inside it was pleasantly cool and smelled of life and green if green was a smell. Bunnymund set Jack on the table and rifled through some cupboards before returning with an armload of objects Jack wasn't sure he wanted to discover what they were.

"Seriously, it's just a scratch," said Jack tiredly.

"I'll be the judge of that," replied Bunnymund curtly.

Bunny inspected Jack's right shoulder before tugging off the gore splattered hoodie and tossing it unceremoniously on the ground. Under it Jack had on a plain white shirt that looked like it had been painted with red by an amature painter with no eye for balance. Bunny shook his head in disgust and pulled that off as well.

"You know, I don't normally go this far on a first date, but since we've known each other for a while, I suppose it's only natural," said Jack snarkily, joking to mask the pain radiating from his shoulder.

"How did she even do this?" asked Bunny. "I didn't see a weapon."

"Do you even know Chaos?"

"What? Of course I know her. I'm not daft. But what about you? It seems you did more than just refuse to work with her if she hates you so much. What was that all about."

"I mean, I may have done a bit more than refuse," said Jack evasively, hissing slightly as Bunnymund cleaned the wound.

"Like?"

"Like I might have called her an old hag, frozen her feet in a block of ice in the Atlantic, tossed some berries at her, and then created an iceberg that surrounded her until it melted. That part would actually explain why you all haven't seen her in ages; I was young when I froze her and didn't have a firm grip on my powers yet. It also helped that I was a bit over zealous, but only a little."

Bunnymund eyed the winter spirit for a long moment before finishing wrapping up his shoulder.

"You've got to learn to pick your battles, Frostbite," said Bunny, washing his hands in the sink. "Chaos is probably the most dangerous spirit out there. There's no reasoning with her and now she'll be out to get you. Just you wait."

"You don't get it, do you?" said Jack softly, his voice hurt and, for once, scared. "She already did."

"What?" said Bunnymund, turning around.

He caught sight of the frozen teenager sitting on the table and found himself, the Easter Bunny, six feet tall, nerves of steel and all, stunned at the sight that greeted him.


	14. How to Fight Chaos

They were back at the Pole, Jack sitting on the ground near the globe, eyes glazed with pain, as Bunny continued to bandage the ever appearing wounds on the boy as he had been doing for almost four hours.

"Explain to me again what happened, please," said Tooth, her wings fluttering half heartedly as she held her head in her hands.

"It's why I was going after her in the first place 300 years ago," said Jack, teeth clenched as he bit back a groan. "She tried to force me to work with her and when I said no she tried this trick. It starts with a cut but then it grows, reopening every physical wound you ever received in reverse order, so newest to oldest. 300 years ago that wasn't very many. Now, though, I have quite a collection, most of which I am rather dreading revisiting."

"So how did you stop it last time?" asked North, sitting in an armchair.

"I didn't," said Jack, closing his eyes as a new wound opened across his back.

Jack groaned and slumped into Bunny's chest, his face burrowing into the fur as if he thought he could hide there from the pain.

"Jeez Frostbite," said Bunny, inspecting the bleeding gash that ran diagonally across Jack's back. "What did you do for 300 years?"

"Picked daisies, quilted, and ate chocolate cake," moaned Jack. "What do you think I did, Kangaroo? The other spirits aren't the most fond of winter, so I had a few fights. Also learning to control your powers and trying to fly aren't the safest of past times when you're severely lacking in the instructor area."

"How are you going to help us fight Chaos if you're laid up like this?"

"How would you guys normally fight Chaos?" asked Jack, sitting up and gathering the rest of his strength to force his mind away from the pain. "That one was from when I was still fairly new as a spirit, so it should be almost over."

"We'd make a plan," said Tooth. "Sandy and I would investigate on our rounds, North and Bunny would sort out the finer details and ready their troops, then we would meet up, plan, and attack."

"Well scratch all of that planning," said Jack before gripping his wrist, a long, deep cut appearing across his palm. "Forgot about that one. Tree branches really suck."

"Jack," said Tooth worriedly.

"Back to fighting Chaos," said Jack, talking over her. "You don't fight Chaos with a plan, you fight Chaos on her terms. This isn't some finely tuned chess match, this is like fighting a class of three year olds on sugar, nothing is off limits and she'll just eat the pieces. So, we need lots of bright colors, flying objects, anything of interest to catch her attention because she can't think in a strait line. Keep her guessing and then strike hard."

"It'll be like July of Fourth!" cheered North, getting excited that they were talking about battle.

"Fourth of July, but yeah, right idea."

"So basically act like you and Tooth combined?" said Bunny.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Tooth, glaring at the over grown rabbit.

"It means all over the place like you but creative like Jack," explained Bunny, not at all cowed by the glare.

"I prefer overactive imagination," said Jack with a wicked grin. "Bugger, okay, that's the last one, I really should have thought before trying to learn how to fly in a forest."

"You look like a mummy," said Bunny, helping a sore Jack to his feet.

"And you look like a Kangaroo. At least mine is temporary."


End file.
